The mere thought of converting sunlight into electricity in a cheap, efficient way has had researchers salivating for years.

Recently, though, there have been several solar power advances worth noting -- from the evolutionary to the revolutionary.

One such effort, for example: The Desertec Industrial Initiative, an ambitious plan to build concentrated solar power (CSP) plants in the Sahara desert to satisfy Europe's demand for power.

For a region that's been hit hard by a drawn-out recession, it may fuel a revival. The $400 billion project is being funded by 10 major companies, including Siemens and Deutsche Bank.

Within 40 years, Europe hopes to produce 15 percent of its electricity this way.

Clearly, making solar power a viable renewable energy source is a top priority for many companies and nations.

So here's a round up of the Top 10 most recent developments in solar power:

Pokeberries: The red dye from pokeberries can be used to coat fiber-based solar cells. It's a good absorber and helps the solar cell capture more sunlight to turn into solar power. Pokeberries can be grown in any climate, so people living in developing countries can easily cultivate the plant and make affordable solar power possible.

Contributing Editor
Boonsri Dickinson is a freelance journalist based in San Francisco. She has written for Discover, The Huffington Post, Forbes, Nature Biotech, Technewsdaily.com, Techstartups.com and AOL. She's currently a reporter for Business Insider. She holds degrees from the University of Florida and the University of Colorado...
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<p>In the unlikely event that Boonsri has a professional or financial relationship with a company she writes about, it will be prominently disclosed.</p> <p>She writes for SmartPlanet and is not an employee of CBS.</p>